Sponge Springboard

Stomp, bounce! I marched right past the fruit bowl toward the kitchen sink—and stopped! *Gasp!* Resting flat on the counter edge was a brand-new yellow dish sponge with a scratchy dark green scouring back! Instant bouncy stage! I didn't think; I took a flying pounce straight into the soft yellow middle! Squish! My boots sank deep into the porous foam, totally killing my bounce! But did I quit? No way! I threw my weight back, gripped the scratchy green rim, and let the resilient foam snap back! Pop! It tossed me an inch into the air, landing me in a dramatic split across the speckled quartz!